Automatic track-sanding apparatus



.2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NoModeLj H. L. LEAGH.

AUTOMATIC TRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

Patented Dec. 1, 1896.

Fig/.1-

a VENTQ P TENT OFFIC HENRY L. LEACH, or oA uBRIDGE, AssAoHUsETT's.

AUTOMATICTRACK-SANDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.572,428, dated December1, 1896. Application filed March 30, 1896. Serial No. 585,370. (Nomodel.)

To all whont it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY L. LEACH, of Cambridge, in the county ofMiddlesex and l State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Automatic Track- Sanding Apparatus, of which thefollowing is a specification. I 7

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of aportion of a locomotive-engine provided with one form of track-sandingdevice embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a trapwhich forms part of the particular construc tion of sand-feedingapparatus in which my present invention is shown embodied. Fig. 3 is acentral sectional view of a regulatingvalve in the conduit from thecompressedfluid-supply to the sand-supply apparatus, this valvecontaining a warning-port. Figs. 4, 5, and 6 show modifications.

It is of great importance that no more sand than is necessary to preventslipping of locomotive driving-wheels should be fed to the tracks,because of the wear which sand causes has frequently happened that thefeed-valve. has been left open longer than necessary by reason of theforgetfulness of the engineer,

-whose attention has been directed to other duties while the device hasbeen in operation.- aste of air and sand and unnecessary wear and tearof tires and rails have been the result. To overcome this I havecombined with the air-supply reservoir and sand-discharge apparatus anautomaticallyacting signal which sounds a Warning whenever thefeed-valve is open and the engineers hand is removed from it for otherduties. The engineer is thereby kept informed that sand is flowing andwarned against continuation of the flow when the slipping has ceased. Inthe drawings I show my invention en1- bodied in the well-known Leachtrack-sanding apparatus for locomotives, although it ing apparatus ofdifferent construction.

A is a locomotive driving-wheel, and a the track-sanding pipedischarging on the rail B. Pipe a, is connectedwith any suitablesandsupply apparatus A of any desired kind that is provided with meansfor feeding sand to the track therefrom, which means comprise anyfluid-motor for the sand (air or steam,

for example) flowing to the sand-supply apparatus and controlled by afeed or regulating valve under the engineers control.

In the present embodiment of my invention the flu id-motor, that is, theagency which forces sand to pipe a, flows to the sanding apparatus Athrough a pipe or conduit a from any compressed-fluid supply, such asreservoir A which maybe and preferably is the main reservoir of theair-brake system. Pipe a passes, preferably, through cab A and isprovided with a feed or regulating valve D, which is under the engineersor other attendants control,being preferably within the cab and underhand control.

WVhen valve D is off its seat d, compressed air flows from reservoir Athrough pipe a to sand-supply apparatus A and moves sand to pipe a, bymeans of which sand is fed. There are a considerable number oftraclcsanding devices other than the Leach in which my present inventionmay be embodied; but in this case conduit a leads into a trap orsandchamber supplied from a main sand-box A and pipe a leads from thetrap, as more fully set forth in my Letters Patent No. 433,686, datedAugust 5, 1890, and No. 512,833, dated January 16, 1894. I s l Toaccomplish the object of my invention, I provide an escape for thecompressed fluid which moves the sand in apparatus A, the escape beingoperative or potentially operative when the valve isfoff its seat andinoperative when the valve is on its seat, the noise of the escapingfluid sounding the warning that sand is flowing.

The preferred mode of applying the pr in ciple of my invention-is toprovide valvestem cl with a central passage d that has a solid bottom (1and an opening (1 on its side within the lower-pressure side d of thevalvecasing. Valve stem (1 is provided with a may be embodied, ifdesired, in track-sandhaving an escape 00 handle d, by which thevalve-stem is moved inwardly or outwardly, as desired. Passage (1 has anopening d without the valve-casing, and this opening (Z is preferablyformed in a cap 61 attached to the outer end of valvestem d, cap dhaving a chamber d", in which is mounted a slide-valve (Z kept normallyby a spring (Z out of contact with the wall of the chamber around theoutlet or opening 61 hen the valve proper (which is the inner end ofstem d) is on seat cl, flow from compressed-fluid reservoir A to sandapparatus A is impossible. If sand is needed 011 the track, valve-stem dis turned to carry the valve off its seat, and the compressed fluid fromthe reservoir A flows through the valvecasin g to actuate the sand.Compressed fluid flowing pastthe valve toward the sanding apparatusenters passage (Z through opening (1 and escapes through d with awhistling noise. So long as the attendant keeps his hand on handle d andthen presses valve (Z inwardly to close escape-opening d no sound isheard. If, however, the attendants hand is removed for any reasonwithout closing valve D, the warning sounds at escape d, for the valve(Z is then carried away from opening (1 by the spring d, if one be used,or by the force of the compressed fluid trying to escape through passaged It is not necessary, of course, to provide any valve for escape d butI prefer to use one for the sake of better eeonomizing the escapingfluid that sounds the warning.

In Fig. at, showing a modification, the warning-port or escape (Z isclosed by the hand that grasps the handle (1.

In Fig. 5, showing another modification, the warning-port d is anorifice in the lowpressure portion .of the pipe in which the regulatingor feed valve is placed.

In Fig. 6, showing another modification, the

warning-port 00 is On the high-pressure side of the feed or regulatingvalve and in this instance is an opening in an auxiliary casing :0,provided with a piston-valve 3 having larger and smaller piston-heads.Casing at is piped to the conduit a at each side of the regulating-valveD. Casing 0c is enlarged at x to receive the larger piston y of thepistonvalve y, this enlarged section of the casing s on-val e 2/ also han intermediate smaller piston 1 which is a sliding fit in the smallerchamber 09 of easing m. \Vhen regulating-valve D is on its seat, thecompressed fluid in conduit ct exerts its force Wholly on thehigh-pressure side of the smaller piston g and so keeps piston-valve yover the warning-port, thereby closing it,

When the regulating-valve 'is off its seat, pressure is exerted on thelowpressure side of the larger piston y and the pistonwalve therebymoved off the warning-port, which continues to sound until theregulating-valve is seated.

hat I claim is I 1. In track-sanding apparatus, the combination of acompressed-fluid apparatus; a sand-supply apparatus having asand-discharge pipe; a conduit from the compressed fluid apparatus tothe said supply apparatus; a valve-casin g interiorly divided into twochambers by a valve-seat, and mounted in said 0011- duit with theconduit connected, on one side, with the chamber above the valve-seat,and on the other side with the chamber below the valve-seat; aregulating-valve mounted in said casing and having a handle projectingtherefrom; and a sounding device which is between said fluid apparatusand sanding apparatus and is in communication with the conduit from thecompressed-fluid apparatus to the sand-supply apparatus, and operativewhen said valve is off its seat and inoperative when the valve is on itsseat; the sand-discharge pipe being in communication through thesand-supply apparatus, with the said conduit.

2. The combination of a valve-casing having a valve-seat with ahigh-pressure port below the valve-seat and a low-pressure port abovethe valve-seat with a valve having a chambered stem, the chamber thereofhaving a constantly-open passage into the lowpressure chamber and anopening outside the casing.

3. The combination of a valve-casing having a valve-seat; ahigh-pressure port below the valve-seat and a low-pressure port abovethe valve-seat, with a valve having a chambered stem, the chamberthereof having a constantly-open passage into the low-pressure chamberand an opening outside the easing; and a valve for said opening outsidethe casing.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, 011 this 17th day of March, A. D.1896.

HENRY L. LEACI'I.

\Vitnesses EDWARD S. BEACH, E. A. ALLEN.

